22/07/2026
A few photos from a very recent trip, hiking through the Albanian Alps. In many ways it would remind you of Austria but the big difference is that Albania is only now starting on an exciting transition stage, moving forward from it’s recent communist isolation towards democracy. This is what makes it exciting. Whilst some trails are identifiable many are not, and there are no maps to guide you. We had the expertise of a local guide:- we literally would have been lost without him. If you enjoy that sort of adventure, I would highly recommend going soon. Things will not last as they are, for much longer. Just be wary of some of the guides you find on-line. A number of these have been AI generated and the details in them do not really reflect what is on the ground. The trails for example are much steeper than the travel guides would lead you to believe.
Families along the trails are very friendly and make a small living by providing cans of juice, tea and coffee. Your drinking water comes from the rivers, and it is refreshingly cold at about 4 degrees: - wade into the water and you instantly feel the pain from the cold. It adds a whole new dimension to cold-water swimming!
On one occasion I was greeted by three young children running down the hill towards me. One was still in nappies, the second was about 3 and the third was about 6. She could speak excellent English, and they were all in a hurry to warn me about the snakes. The crazy thing is that they were all in their bare feet and running through the bushes where the snakes were living: - not a care in the world. We actually did have to avoid certain parts of the trails because this is the breeding season for the Vipers and people had been bitten and needed to be taken to hospital for the anti-venom: - not easily sorted halfway up a mountain with no roads, and miles from the nearest village.
As you walk along the trails there is an abundance of fruit:- but we were warned against trying to pick it in case we were bitten. Similarly for toilet breaks:- no more crouching behind a bush if you were “caught short”. You just had to hold on!
On one trek we had arranged for donkeys to carry our luggage up the trail with us. A thunderstorm made it far too dangerous for them and we had to arrange a car to take it to our final destination:- it was a seven hour drive around the mountain for the driver, which gives a small indication of life in this part of the world.
All in all, it was an unforgettable trek through a beautiful landscape. If you want an adventure before modern tourism fully changes it, the Albanian Alps are waiting:- just watch where you step!